HMS Campbeltown is one of the most well-known of the traded ships, as she was famously expended as a floating bomb in the �Operation Chariot� raid by British commandos on the St. Nazaire docks in March of 1942.
Revell�s 1/240 four-piper destroyer kit has been around since the 1960s and has been issued many times as the USS Ward, the USS Buchanan, and the HMS Campbeltown. It�s basically the same kit every time it comes out, except for the decals. However, even though the decal sheet for this reissue includes the White Ensign of the Royal Navy, the hull number included is still the 131 (in US-style lettering) that goes with USS Buchanan. I replaced that with decals from my stash. Other alterations I made include lowering the fourth stack, to match how Campbeltown appeared in British service; adding covers to the ship's boats; and adding splinter shields to the bow and stern 4" guns. I should have landed the sternmost pair of torpedo tubes, but it looked a bit empty without them so I left them on.
In my opinion, this is one of the best of the older ship kits. Unlike some Revell kits of similar vintage it�s accurate below the waterline, with shafts and screws as well as a rudder. And unlike many kits of the era, rather than heavy molded railings, it has stanchions that may be rigged with thread. Other nice features include open scuttles and relatively good detail on the decks and bulkheads.
One other comment: as noted, HMS Campbeltown�s great claim to fame was her role in the St. Nazaire raid. However, she was heavily modified prior to that operation, specifically, altered to resemble a German torpedo boat so as to help her get as far into the harbor as possible without alerting the enemy. It would take a lot of scratch building to alter this kit in such a way as to yield a model of Campbeltown as she appeared in the raid.
